Charles E. Jr. Arden

Charles (Charlie) E. Arden, Jr., of Lindenhurst, Illinois, formerly of Winnetka and also of Ithaca, New York, passed away unexpectedly on February 19, 2016, at the age of 83.

Charlie was born in Ithaca on October 1, 1932, the oldest of five children of the late Charles E. and Maude (Fidler) Arden. He spent his childhood in Ithaca and also in Trumansburg, New York, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His ancestors fought in both the Civil War and the Revolutionary War.

Charlie graduated from Ithaca High School in 1950. He was a member of the basketball team, was a high-achieving student, and played baritone horn in the jazz band. He then attended Cornell University (’55) where he received a B.S. in Agriculture Economics and an M.B.A. in Business and Accounting (’60). In 1953, Charlie began serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was trained as a Radio Operator. He served active duty in the 506th Anti Aircraft Artillery detachment at Fort Clayton in the Panama Canal Zone, held the rank of Specialist 3rd class, received a Good Conduct Medal, and was honorably discharged from active duty in 1955. He then served in the National Guard with rank of Sergeant in the 169th Field Artillery Battalion.

While attending Cornell, Charlie became reacquainted with his high school classmate, Marilyn Joan Dyce. Charlie and Marilyn were married in 1957 at the First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca. Their first child, David, was born in Ithaca in 1959. The family moved to Staten Island in 1960, where daughter Carolyn was born. Charlie worked as an accountant for Price Waterhouse in New York City. In 1964, the family moved to Plainfield, New Jersey, where daughter Nancy was born. It was during his years working in lower Manhattan that he watched the World Trade Center being built. In 1971, Charlie received his C.P.A. certificate from the State University of New York. In 1972, the Arden family moved to Winnetka, Illinois, where Charlie was a V.P. for the Hackett Corporation in Chicago. He was later employed as an executive recruiter, and then as the Chicago regional sales person for SCS Cases, selling custom-made containers for equipment ranging from rock-star guitars to nuclear submarine parts. The Arden family lived in Winnetka for 22 years. In 1994, empty-nesters Charlie and Marilyn moved north to Lindenhurst, Illinois, where they enjoyed their beautiful lakeside property on Lake Linden.

Throughout his life, beginning as a child in the 1940s, Charlie enjoyed building and flying tissue and balsa wood free flight and U-control model airplanes. He competed in model aeronautics meets in New York, New Jersey, and Illinois, and was a member of the Chicago Aeronuts model airplane club for many years. An avid history buff, Charlie regularly attended meetings of the Illinois Chapter of the 8th Air Force Historical Society. He also enjoyed golf, boating, reading mysteries and historical books, bird watching, live music, crossword puzzles, and baking delicious homemade pies. He was a long-time fan of the Green Bay Packers and the St. Louis Cardinals. He enjoyed attending high-school sporting events and driving cross-country to visit family. One of his favorite places was the family’s cottage on a small island in Ontario, where he worked on the cabin and dock and enjoyed relaxing on the front porch, and watching nature and his children and grandchildren playing in the lake. He found joy every day in the wide variety of birds that visited his feeders at home throughout the year.

A devoted father and grandfather, Charlie attended many sports, music, and dance performances of his children and grandchildren. He was a loving, gentle grandfather who doted on his five grandchildren and was very involved with their lives. He had the ability to make everyone feel special and was known for his warm laugh, twinkling eyes, and patient listening skills. He gave wise advice and support to many young people, both in his extended family and within the community, and was a cherished friend. In recent years, his home-away-from-home was RJ’s restaurant in Lindenhurst where the staff treated him like family. He was dearly loved.

Charlie is survived by three children, David Arden of Winston-Salem, NC; Carolyn (John) Arden Malkin of Westport, CT; and Nancy (John) Arden Rice of Geneva, IL; five grandchildren, Hannah, Asa, Melony, Sydney, and Michael; brother Bruce Arden; and nieces and nephews. His loving wife, Marilyn, died in 2007.

An Open House to celebrate his life will be held at R.J.’s Eatery in Lindenhurst, Illinois, on the afternoon of Saturday, March 19, 2016, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, August 20, 2016 at the First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca, 315 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca.

The family asks those who wish to make a memorial contribution in Charlie Arden’s name to kindly consider the non-profit Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), Youth Scholarship Fund, 5161 East Memorial Drive, Muncie, Indiana 47302; (800) 435-9262, ext 277.